A Little Lake Story
by KJaneway115
Summary: Just what the title says. Total fluff. J/C.
1. 1

_A/N: Set mid-season 6. No C/7 in this one. Written mostly on a plane ride. One of two "lake stories" this year. This one is total and absolute fluff. Thanks to Mizvoy for the editing.  
_

* * *

 **A LITTLE LAKE STORY**

By KJaneway115

* * *

The wind was blowing, causing waves to rise up in white peaks on the water. They rolled over each other, then crashed up on the rocky shore, leaving white foam floating between the rocks. A wooden dock stretched out into the choppy lake, rising above the waves, and on that dock stood Captain Kathryn Janeway.

Chakotay heard the holodeck doors swish shut behind him. Janeway had turned to look at him when the doors had opened, but she had since turned back to the water. The commander sighed and walked down the grassy lawn towards the dock. He recognized the location; it was the Janeway family home at Lake George. Kathryn had brought him here on a few occasions over the years, but it had been some time since his last visit. "Kathryn?" he called, reaching the shore where the dock met land.

Reluctantly, she walked back to land to meet him. "What is it, Commander?" Her cheeks were pale and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"I didn't come here on ship's business."

"Can it wait, then? I'd like to be alone."

She started to walk back out to the end of the dock, but he caught her wrist. "I stopped in astrometrics a few minutes ago to ask Seven a question. She let it slip that you seemed upset by something in the latest data stream."

Janeway rubbed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Seven should mind her own business."

"What happened?" "It's nothing, Chakotay. I'm fine."

It was her stock response, and he turned to go. He wasn't in the mood to argue with her or try several tactics to get her to tell him what was wrong. He expected he'd never find out. He was surprised when she stopped him before he reached the holodeck door.

"Chakotay?"

He turned back to look at her.

"Would you like to stay for a while?"

"Sure." He tried not to let his surprise show; it had been a long time since they had shared a personal interaction beyond a quick dinner or a cup of coffee in her ready room. Everything had been pretty businesslike between them of late.

She gestured to the picnic table by the shore. "Join me?" He sat down next to her, and she looked at him for a long moment before continuing, "It's been too long since we've done this."

"It has been a while." He looked out at the lake in front of them. "I forgot how beautiful it is here."

"Yeah." She propped her chin up in her hand, staring out at the water, her eyes filling with tears. "It is beautiful."

He saw a tear slide down her cheek and grew even more concerned. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no," she assured him, wiping her eyes. "I just got some bad news is all."

"What was it?"

"My grandmother passed away," she said, still looking out at the water instead of at him.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not like it was a big surprise. She was quite elderly and had a long and happy life." She paused to wipe away another tear. "I'm just sad that I never got to see her again."

"I'm sorry," Chakotay whispered again, putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her close. "I understand that feeling."

"She was a stubborn woman."

"So that's where you got it from."

Kathryn sniffled, letting Chakotay's arm around her bolster her spirits. "You would have liked her."

"I have no doubt of that." He made a vague gesture encompassing the scene around them. "This is where she lived?"

She pulled away from his embrace to gesture to the house overlooking the lake. "When I was very young, Lake George was a summer residence. Later, she and my grandfather moved there permanently. He's been gone for several years, now. Now that she's gone, too, my mother has decided to sell the house. She doesn't want to take care of the place at Lake George as well as the farmhouse in Indiana. I understand why. She's alone, my sister is living on Mars, and I'm… Well, I can't be of much help, now, can I?"

"Don't blame yourself."

"I know… Just another item to add to the list of things I have to feel guilty about." She stood and walked to the sandy beach. Her Starfleet issue boots dug into the holographic sand, and she squatted down to touch the water with her fingertips. "I love this place. I love the house; I love Lake George."

"I know." "I always thought that when we got home, after all the pomp and circumstance was done and all the battles were fought, this was the first place I'd go. To spend a week, or a month, or maybe even a whole year, doing nothing but painting, sculpting, swimming and sailing."

"I'm sure you could still find someplace to do that."

She stood and walked back to the picnic table. "You've talked about finding peace. For me, that's what Lake George is, the most peaceful place on Earth. Maybe it's because I've been going there since I was a child, but I always found that being there brought me back to myself. Now, it's gone."

"And you feel like a part of you has gone with it."

"Yes, that's it exactly." She shook her head. "I always thought I'd see it again. It's so sad to think that I can never go back to the real place, even if we do get home before I'm too old to enjoy it."

Chakotay leaned forward and took both her hands in his. "We _will_ get home, Kathryn, and I wager that you and I will both still be young enough to enjoy it."

She pulled her hands away from his and leaned her elbows on the picnic table. "Some days I believe that, Chakotay. Others, I wonder who I'm kidding."

"I can understand why you'd feel a little down today, with the news you just received."

"I'm sorry. I'm being morose, aren't I? I'll be fine tomorrow. Don't worry about me."

"I always worry about you, Kathryn," he said softly, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "You carry such a big burden. I want to help, if I can."

"I know you do," she replied, squeezing his knee. "But I'm the captain."

"You're also my friend."

There was a long silence as Kathryn let herself enjoy the feeling of Chakotay's arm around her, his warm body pressed against hers, the steady rise and fall of his chest. In a moment, it would be back to business, back to being the captain, back to putting her family and the lake house to the back of her mind, but for just this one moment, she allowed herself to enjoy her friend's company and the support he was offering her. "I'm glad you came by," she admitted.

"You never would have told me what happened if I hadn't asked, would you?"

"Probably not. Which makes me a good captain, but a lousy friend."

"That's all right, Kathryn," he said, tightening his arm around her. "You're one lousy friend that I think I'll keep."


	2. 2

_Two years later..._

Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway shut the door of her San Francisco apartment behind her. She put down her bag, threw her coat over the back of a chair, and then went to the replicator to order a cup of black coffee. Mid-sentence, she stopped, instead opting to pour herself a glass of red wine from the bottle on her counter. Glass in hand, she sank down into her favorite chair, succumbing to exhaustion. As she sipped her wine, she wished she wasn't drinking it alone. She thought about calling B'Elanna or Seven, but she knew their company would be no substitute for the person she really wanted to see. She missed Chakotay more than she cared to admit.

The last two years of _Voyager_ 's journey had been particularly tough on her command team. The isolation of the Delta Quadrant wore on all of them, and in their own ways, both she and Chakotay had withdrawn from the crew and from each other. In fact, one of the last times she could remember having a real conversation with him on the ship had been in her Lake George holodeck program when she had told him about her grandmother's death. As she'd adjusted to life back in the Alpha Quadrant and gone through counseling, she'd started to miss her friendship with Chakotay. She'd invited him to join her for dinner one night, and before she knew it, they had resumed their tradition of sharing dinner at least once a week. Despite their busy schedules, they had managed to repair their damaged friendship.

Chakotay had accepted a teaching position at Starfleet Academy, but his research had taken him away from Earth several times since _Voyager_ 's return. Of late, his travel had made finding time together almost impossible and they had taken to exchanging brief messages over subspace. Kathryn chose not to think about why she felt a little thrill each time she received a message from him. She glanced at the date on her chronometer, thinking that he should be returning to San Francisco soon. Just the thought of spending time with him made her smile. She was about to turn on the news vids when she heard a knock at the door. Curious who'd be calling on her so late in the evening, she hurried to open it. When she saw who her visitor was, her mouth fell open in surprise. "Chakotay!"

"Hello, Kathryn," he said, pulling her into an embrace. "I'm sorry for stopping by without notice. I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Not at all. I was just thinking about you."

"You were?"

"Yes. I was thinking you'd be back soon, and here you are! Can I get you a glass of wine?"

"No, thank you. I can't stay, actually. I'm on my way to a meeting with a student."

"Oh." She knew her disappointment was evident, but she didn't care.

"I just docked a few hours ago. I thought about comming you, but the truth is, I couldn't wait to see you." He took her hands in his, and she felt a giddy laugh rise from her belly.

"The truth is, I was just wondering how much longer I'd have to wait. I'm glad you came by instead of just comming."

"Me, too." He squeezed her hands. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away."

"Are you free this weekend?

"Well, let me see." Releasing his hands, she examined her calendar. "I have a couple things - a game of velocity with Seven, lunch with an old friend."

"Can you reschedule? I hate to ask you to do that, but it's important."

"Sure, Chakotay. I'll reschedule. Why, what's going on?" she asked, thinking he needed her help with some kind of problem.

"It's a surprise."

"What kind of surprise?"

He grinned. "I'm not telling you. That's what makes it a surprise." He stepped towards the door and opened it to leave. "Be ready at 0900 on Saturday. I'll pick you up then."

"Where are we going?" she asked as he stepped out the door.

"Bring an overnight bag." "But, Chakotay…"

"Don't make me wait," he said with a wink, and closed the door behind him.

Kathryn was intrigued. She couldn't imagine what Chakotay had up his sleeve, and she could hardly wait for Saturday.

 _Three days later..._

At 0900 on Saturday morning, Kathryn had been ready for half an hour and was impatiently waiting for Chakotay to arrive. Her mind had churned through dozens of possibilities, but she still couldn't imagine what he had planned for her. A small part of her hoped it was something romantic, but her better judgment warned her that this was just wishful thinking. She and Chakotay were friends, nothing more.

He arrived right on time and had just raised his hand to knock on the door when it opened in front of him. He laughed. "I see you're ready."

"I've been waiting."

He checked the time. "I'm not late."

"No, but I'm impatient."

"Did you pack a bag?"

"Yes." She pointed to the duffel in the corner.

"There's one thing I forgot to tell you. You'll need to bring a bathing suit."

"A bathing suit? Are we going to the beach?"

"You're not getting any more information out of me, Kathryn." She pouted, and hurried to her bedroom to get the required item.

Stuffing it into her duffel, she looked at him expectantly. "I'm ready."

"Good." He picked up her bag and took it to his hovercar, which was waiting outside her building. He held the passenger side door for her and then got into the driver's side. "First stop, breakfast."

"Chakotay!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"If you want to find out what your surprise is, you're going to have to follow my rules," he said with a dimpled grin. "And one of those rules is breakfast first."

Kathryn relented, secretly delighted to be spending the day with him regardless of what her surprise turned out to be. Even if all he had planned was breakfast and a day at the beach, she knew she wouldn't be disappointed. Chakotay took her to a wonderful diner with a view of the bay, and they spent breakfast laughing and talking, finally getting a chance to catch up on the past few weeks of their lives. They talked about their work, their crew and their families, both enjoying the face-to-face conversation much more than the brief subspace messages they'd been exchanging.

After their meal, Kathryn sat back in her chair, hands on her stomach. "Chakotay, that was delicious. Thank you."

"Have you forgotten about your surprise already?"

"No, of course not." She reached across the table to take his hand. "But if having breakfast together and spending the day with you were my surprise, I'd be very happy."

He blushed, clearly not expecting her admission. "Come on," he said, avoiding a direct response. "I think it's time to go." He drove them to the nearest transporter station, again opening and closing her door for her and carrying both of their bags into the building.  
When they were standing on the transporter pad, he signaled to the operator to wait. "Hang on! I almost forgot something." He took a black strip of fabric from his bag and tied it around her head, covering her eyes.

"Chakotay, I can't see a thing. What are you doing?"

"I want to make sure you don't peek," he said. "Energize."

Kathryn felt the transporter beam catch her and then deposit her somewhere else. There was a gentle breeze blowing in their new location, and she could tell they were outside. The air smelled fresh and it was inland air, not the sea air of San Francisco. "Chakotay?" she asked, tempted to pull up the blindfold and look around.

"Oh, no, you don't!" he said, seeing her hand reach for her eyes. "No peeking!"

"Where are we?" she asked. He did not respond, but she felt his hands grasp her shoulders, and he guided her as they walked. His chest was up against her back, his face so near that she could feel the heat of his breath on her neck. They walked several paces. The ground felt uneven. Rocky, maybe? Or grassy? Then she heard the unmistakable sound of water lapping upon a shore.

"Are you ready?" Chakotay's voice in her ear nearly made her jump because she had been so focused on the sounds, smells and sensations around her.

"Mmhmm."

With a tug, Chakotay removed the blindfold, and Kathryn gasped. She found herself staring out at a very familiar lake. The breeze caused ripples in the water, and she could see little waves lapping up against the rocky shore. She inhaled the air; it smelled exactly like she remembered. Slowly, she walked towards the water, past the grassy lawn and onto a small sandy beach. Her heels sunk into the sand as she walked, but she didn't care. She knelt down, her slacks trailing in the dirt, and placed her hand in the water. She touched her fingers to her forehead and then to her heart in a gesture of benediction. She stood and slowly turned back to Chakotay. He was grinning so wide she thought his face might split in two. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't you want to see the house?" he asked.

"The house?" He gestured toward a beautiful home, set back into the hill. It was white and had a big front porch that overlooked the lake. It had two stories and lots and lots of windows.

"It's beautiful. Is it a Bed and Breakfast?" she asked, wondering if he had arranged for them to spend the weekend there.

"Nope."

"A rental property, then?"

"No, it's a private home."

"Oh." She wondered who Chakotay knew that had a house on Lake George. "Whose home is it?"

From somewhere behind his back, he produced a set of house keys and held them out to her on an open palm. "It's yours, Kathryn, if you want it."

The world seemed to stop, and she was sure she had understood him properly. She looked from the house to the water and back again. The property was large and beautifully landscaped. It wasn't the home of her grandparents, but it was on the same side of the lake as theirs had been, so the view was almost the same. If she could have designed a lake house for herself, it would have looked very much like this one. Yet, she still didn't understand how this home could be hers.

Chakotay watched as Kathryn's expression filled with disbelief. He would have laughed when she said, "I don't understand," but the expression on her face was so childlike and full of wonder that he couldn't laugh. She was too beautiful.

"The crew wanted to give you a gift," he explained, "in thanks for getting them home, and in gratitude for all that you sacrificed out there. I knew how much Lake George meant to you and how disappointed you were that you wouldn't be able to come back to your family home here. Tom and Harry passed around a collection plate, so to speak, and everyone from our crew contributed. I covered the rest." He paused, trying to gauge her reaction. "I'm sorry it took so long. My traveling hasn't exactly expedited the process. Although, some of the weekends I told you I was gone for work, I was actually here at Lake George, looking at properties. I was just waiting to find the right one, and judging by the expression on your face, I guess I did."

Kathryn covered her mouth with her hand, staring at the house. Her body began to shake and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Chakotay was at her side in an instant, his arms around her, his hands rubbing her back while he whispered soothing words. She hugged him fiercely in return, letting her tears fall into the soft material of his shirt. When she pulled back to look into his eyes, he wiped her tears with his thumbs. "This was supposed to make you happy, not sad."

"I am happy. I'm so happy I don't know what to say!" she exclaimed, and burst into tears again. "Oh, Chakotay. This is the most wonderful thing anyone's ever done for me. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. Any of you."

"Kathryn, you sacrificed everything for our crew in the Delta Quadrant. Your own happiness, everything. This is just their way of saying, 'thank you.'" He bent down to kiss her forehead.

"Is it just your way of saying thank you, too?" she asked, wiping her eyes and stepping away from him.

He shook his head, taking her hands in his and kissing the backs of them, one by one.

"Then what are you saying, Chakotay? Why the breakfast and the elaborate surprise? Why pack for the weekend?"

"You really don't know?" he asked, stepping closer, wrapping one arm around her and then the other.

She shook her head, looking up at him, her eyes luminous and large, still moist from her tears. "I need to hear you say it," she whispered.

"This is my way of telling you that I love you."

His arms supported her as she threw her head back in a peal of joyous laughter. She stood up on her tiptoes and inched her lips towards his. She could feel the heat of his breath on her mouth, the strength of his arms encircling her; she could smell his masculine scent. She tipped forward a little further, and their lips met for the first time.

When she broke the kiss, she was smiling with a radiance he hadn't seen on her face in years. "Well, that's good," she said, "because I love you, too." She kissed him again, this time a little deeper, and then broke away, keeping his hand in hers. "Now why don't you show me the rest of my house?"

"Why, Kathryn," he replied with a grin, "I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
